Italic languages facts for kids

The Italic languages are a group of languages that belong to the larger Indo-European language family. They were first spoken in Italy a very long time ago. The most famous Italic language is Latin. Latin was the language of the Roman Empire.

As the Roman Empire grew, Latin spread across much of Western Europe. Over many centuries, Latin changed in different places. These changes led to the Romance languages we know today.

What are Italic Languages?

The Italic languages are a branch of the huge Indo-European language family. This family includes many languages spoken across Europe and parts of Asia. Think of it like a big tree, and Italic languages are one of its main branches.

These languages first appeared in the Italian peninsula. This is the land where modern-day Italy is located.

Latin and its Legacy

The most important Italic language was Latin. It was spoken by the ancient Romans. As the Roman Empire expanded, Latin became the language of government, trade, and everyday life in many areas.

After the Roman Empire fell, Latin continued to change and develop. In different regions, Latin evolved into new languages. These new languages are called the Romance languages.

Modern Romance Languages

Today, many people around the world speak Romance languages. The main ones include:

• Spanish
• French
• Portuguese
• Italian
• Romanian

These languages are spoken in many countries. You can find them in southern Europe, Latin America, and parts of Canada. They are also official languages in many countries in Africa.

Other Italic Languages

Besides Latin, there were other Italic languages. These languages were spoken by different groups of people in ancient Italy. Examples include Osco-Umbrian languages.

However, these other Italic languages did not survive. They eventually died out as Latin became more dominant. Today, only the languages that came from Latin are still spoken.

Images for kids

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  Main linguistic groups in Iron-Age Italy and the surrounding areas. Some of those languages have left very little evidence, and their classification is quite uncertain. The Punic language brought to Sardinia by the Punics coexisted with the indigenous and non-Italic Paleo-Sardinian, or Nuragic.

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  Map showing the approximate extent of the centum (blue) and satem (red) areals.

See also

In Spanish: Lenguas itálicas para niños